The Political Parties Council, a body created by the Political Parties Act, 2022 to register and regulate political parties, has since remained inactive and is yet to be reconstituted despite R-TGoNU’s claim that elections will be held at the end of R-ARCSS.
However, this has raised concerns about the practicality of holding well-planned and credible elections, which are only a stone’s throw away lest be forgotten, political parties council plays a crucial role in ensuring that political parties adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the government.
That probably means that without this body, there is a risk that political parties may not be properly registered or regulated thus leading to a lack of transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
The situation is quite worrisome due to the lack of progress in reconstituting the political parties council and fear is sparked since South Sudan’s reputation among nations is already low, and the failure to hold credible elections could further damage the country’s standing in the international community.
Deng Bol Aruai, the chairman of the common people’s Party (CPA) says it is essential that the government takes urgent action to reconstitute the political parties council and ensure that necessary preparations are made for the elections which are about 15 months from now.
“This includes providing adequate funding and resources to the council, as well as ensuring that all political parties are registered and regulated fairly and transparently”, said Deng Bol.
He adds that government must act now to ensure that this happens and that the political parties council is reconstituted without delay.
